With just a week to go in New York’s Governor race, voters learned a vital agenda of favorite Andrew Cuomo. Medical marijuana was slated as a bad idea in the same class as prostitution by the outgoing NY Attorney General, and won’t be legalized during his watch. Get the full story, photos and video below!
Whether or not this opinion is popular in the democratic state, most think it won’t be enough to affect the election. Republican Carl Paladino’s anti-gay remarks earlier in the campaigns effectively nixed any serious chance that the GOP candidate had of closing the gap in the polls.
Contrary to the opinion of Andrew Cuomo, medical marijuana legalization is enjoying a growing base of support in the Empire State. California legalized the drug for medicinal use in 1996, and more than a dozen states have followed since. Legalizing the drug would boost state revenues in a time where tight budgets wreaking havoc with lawmakers.
“The dangers of medical marijuana outweigh the benefits,” said the outgoing AG, who has admitted using marijuana in his youth. “A lot of things could raise revenues. Legalizing prostitution could raise revenues. I’m against that, too.”
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey found that, if held today, 37% of voters would elect Paladino, and 51% would support their outgoing Attorney General. Not a pretty picture for the Republican candidate. Still, Paladino is by no means calling it quits. In a recent attack on his opponent, Paladino highlighted Cuomo’s role in contributing to the still-looming housing crisis. The democrat served for four years as the Federal Housing Secretary under Bill Clinton, where one employee recently told the Wall Street Journal that his decisions “were pretty near disastrous.”
“Cuomo thinks he can lie about his miserable stewardship of HUD and the voters will buy it,” Paladino’s spokesman said Sunday. “Cuomo really messed the bed at HUD and lit the fuse on the sub-prime mortgage meltdown that cost taxpayers trillions.”
What do you think of the recent revelation by Andrew Cuomo? Medical marijuana, if properly monitored, is generally supported by the healthcare community. Will his stonewalling stance against the drug affect the elections? Let me know what you think in the comment section! And don’t miss the pictures and video on the story below!
Photos: www.wenn.com/ Ivan Nikolov, Anthony G. Moore
October 26th, 2010 at 3:00 am
waddadikhed
October 26th, 2010 at 4:39 am
Hmm Andrew normally makes pretty reasonable judgments on things- but this is a bit silly of him, he needs to wake up to the fact that all the old wives tales have been dis proven about marijuana
October 26th, 2010 at 4:57 am
Here are just ten of the many studies the Feds wish they’d never commissioned:
01) MARIJUANA USE HAS NO EFFECT ON MORTALITY:
A massive study of California HMO members funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) found marijuana use caused no significant increase in mortality. Tobacco use was associated with increased risk of death. Sidney, S et al. Marijuana Use and Mortality. American Journal of Public Health
. Vol. 87 No. 4, April 1997. p. 585-590. Sept. 2002.
02) HEAVY MARIJUANA USE AS A YOUNG ADULT WON’T RUIN YOUR LIFE:
Veterans Affairs scientists looked at whether heavy marijuana use as a young adult caused long-term problems later, studying identical twins in which one twin had been a heavy marijuana user for a year or longer but had stopped at least one month before the study, while the second twin had used marijuana no more than five times ever. Marijuana use had no significant impact on physical or mental health care utilization, health-related quality of life, or current socio-demographic characteristics. Eisen SE et al. Does Marijuana Use Have Residual Adverse Effects on Self-Reported Health Measures, Socio-Demographics or Quality of Life? A Monozygotic Co-Twin Control Study in Men. Addiction. Vol. 97 No. 9. p.1083-1086. Sept.
1997
03) THE “GATEWAY EFFECT” MAY BE A MIRAGE:
Marijuana is often called a “gateway drug” by supporters of prohibition, who point to statistical “associations” indicating that persons who use marijuana are more likely to eventually try hard drugs than those who never use marijuana – implying that marijuana use somehow causes hard drug use. But a model developed by RAND Corp. researcher Andrew Morral demonstrates that these associations can be explained “without requiring a gateway effect.” More likely, this federally funded study suggests, some people simply have an underlying propensity to try drugs, and start with what’s most readily available. Morral AR, McCaffrey D and Paddock S. Reassessing the Marijuana Gateway Effect. Addiction. December 2002. p. 1493-1504.
04) PROHIBITION DOESN’T WORK (PART 1):
The White House had the National Research Council examine the data being gathered about drug use and the effects of U.S. drug policies. NRC concluded, “the nation possesses little information about the effectiveness of current drug policy, especially of drug law enforcement.” And what data exist show “little apparent relationship between severity of sanctions prescribed for drug use and prevalence or frequency of use.” In other words, there is no proof that prohibition – the cornerstone of U.S. drug policy for a century – reduces drug use. National Research Council. Informing America’s Policy on Illegal Drugs: What We Don’t Know Keeps Hurting Us. National Academy Press, 2001. p. 193.
05) PROHIBITION DOESN’T WORK (PART 2):
DOES PROHIBITION CAUSE THE “GATEWAY EFFECT”?): U.S. and Dutch researchers, supported in part by NIDA, compared marijuana users in San Francisco, where non-medical use remains illegal, to Amsterdam, where adults may possess and purchase small amounts of marijuana from regulated businesses. Looking at such parameters as frequency and quantity of use and age at onset of use, they found the following: Cannabis (Marijuana) use in San Francisco was 3 times the prevalence found in the Amsterdam sample. And lifetime use of hard drugs was significantly lower in Amsterdam, with its “tolerant” marijuana policies. For example, lifetime crack cocaine use was 4.5 times higher in San Francisco than Amsterdam. Reinarman, C, Cohen, PDA, and Kaal, HL. The Limited Relevance of Drug Policy: Cannabis in Amsterdam and San Francisco. American Journal of Public Health. Vol. 94, No. 5. May 2004. p. 836-842.
06) OOPS, MARIJUANA MAY PREVENT CANCER (PART 1):
Federal researchers implanted several types of cancer, including leukemia and lung cancers, in mice, then treated them with cannabinoids (unique, active components found in marijuana). THC and other cannabinoids shrank tumors and increased the mice’s lifespans. Munson, AE et al. Antineoplastic Activity of Cannabinoids. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Sept. 1975. p. 597-602.
07) OOPS, MARIJUANA MAY PREVENT CANCER, (PART 2):
In a 1994 study the government tried to suppress, federal researchers gave mice and rats massive doses of THC, looking for cancers or other signs of toxicity. The rodents given THC lived longer and had fewer cancers, “in a dose-dependent manner” (i.e. the more THC they got, the fewer tumors). NTP Technical Report On The Toxicology And Carcinogenesis Studies Of 1-Trans- Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, CAS No. 1972-08-3, In F344/N Rats And B6C3F Mice, Gavage Studies. See also, “Medical Marijuana: Unpublished Federal Study Found THC-Treated Rats Lived Longer, Had Less Cancer,” AIDS Treatment News no. 263, Jan. 17, 1997.
08) OOPS, MARIJUANA MAY PREVENT CANCER (PART 3):
Researchers at the Kaiser-Permanente HMO, funded by NIDA, followed 65,000 patients for nearly a decade, comparing cancer rates among non-smokers, tobacco smokers, and marijuana smokers. Tobacco smokers had massively higher rates of lung cancer and other cancers. Marijuana smokers who didn’t also use tobacco had no increase in risk of tobacco-related cancers or of cancer risk overall. In fact their rates of lung and most other cancers were slightly lower than non-smokers, though the difference did not reach statistical significance. Sidney, S. et al. Marijuana Use and Cancer Incidence (California, United States). Cancer Causes and Control. Vol. 8. Sept. 1997, p. 722-728.
09) OOPS, MARIJUANA MAY PREVENT CANCER (PART 4):
Donald Tashkin, a UCLA researcher whose work is funded by NIDA, did a case-control study comparing 1,200 patients with lung, head and neck cancers to a matched group with no cancer. Even the heaviest marijuana smokers had no increased risk of cancer, and had somewhat lower cancer risk than non-smokers (tobacco smokers had a 20-fold increased Lung Cancer risk). Tashkin D. Marijuana Use and Lung Cancer: Results of a Case-Control Study. American Thoracic Society International Conference. May 23, 2006.
10) MARIJUANA DOES HAVE GREAT MEDICAL VALUE:
In response to passage of California’s medical marijuana law, the White House had the Institute of Medicine (IOM) review the data on marijuana’s medical benefits and risks. The IOM concluded, “Nausea, appetite loss, pain and anxiety are all afflictions of wasting, and all can be mitigated by marijuana.” The report also added, “we acknowledge that there is no clear alternative for people suffering from chronic conditions that might be relieved by smoking marijuana, such as pain or AIDS wasting.” The government’s refusal to acknowledge this finding caused co-author John A. Benson to tell the New York Times that the government “loves to ignore our report … they would rather it never happened.” Joy, JE, Watson, SJ, and Benson, JA. Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base. National Academy Press. 1999. p. 159. See also, Harris, G. FDA Dismisses Medical Benefit From Marijuana. New York Times. Apr. 21, 2006
October 26th, 2010 at 5:13 am
I am surprised that y’all on Rightpundits would come out in favor of marijuana smokin’. I cannot think of any one single greater threat to right wing extremism in our country today than marijuana. I’d put it in the same class as bowling, only worse. Any dude who burns a cross in someone’s yard while he’s stoned out of his mind would sure get caught. He’d be standing there for two hours watching the flames, with a silly grin on his face. And if you wuz stoned and actually read the Koran instead of burning it, you might even wind up down on your knees facing Mecca.
So, nah, you’s better think twice about this. If we could get the whole country stoned the Democrats might even keep control of Congress next week.
October 26th, 2010 at 5:15 am
And if I knew that I was going to die, the last thing in the world that I would want to do is get high. Makes you think too much.
But that’s just me, I guess.
October 26th, 2010 at 5:23 am
For weeks now I have thought of Carl as a dckhead and was going to switch my vote against my own party line and go with you. I always thought your father was a brilliant man but was responsable for bringing this once great state to its knees fiscally. Now I understand that you have compared the medical marijuana program to prostition while the former cures or at the very least helps fight the symptoms of disease while the latter spreads disease. That smacks of true ignorance. You took this stand even while you admit to inhaling in your youth and that makes you a hypocrite and lowers you from being the great white hope to just another hack politician. Even with you own brand of briliancy your decisions during your tenure at HUD did help ingnite the sub-prime mortgage fiasco. All this means is that you ARE your fathers son, brilliant but prone to making wrong decisions. I have 12 band Lyme disease, aggravated by moderate to severe sleep apnea and arthritus. I lived in California for 3 months and took advantage of this program and it worked wonders for me. You are going to be elected but already you have let down a portion of your constituancy with these comments. Please reconsider or at least become more enlightened on this issue. We need you and not Carl because your brilliantncy outwieghs his fervor.
October 26th, 2010 at 5:37 am
Well let’s see how many New Yorkers are STUPID enough to vote for yet ANOTHER Cuomo?
October 26th, 2010 at 5:45 am
If all those who are against medicinal marijuana would suffer just one week with fibromyalgia, then they would understand why people prefere this over the paon meds all these Doctors try to push on us, which by the way are very addictive and do little to relieve the pain and discomfort.
October 26th, 2010 at 6:02 am
Marijuana should be legal for the following.
Before the war on drugs 9 out of 10 homicides were found out today it’s 6 out of 10.
It cost us over 50 billion dollars a year.
Smoking marijuana doesn’t ruin your life getting caught does. I have many friends in my school who if caught with marijuana would get expelled and forced into community college. And there bright kids who get 90s and did well on there PSAT’s.
Marijuana can be used for medicine,paper, energy,relaxation,and other industrial uses.
It can save poor people billions of dollars a year on drugs.
Poor people can grow it in there homes and sell it for industrial and recreational purposes too make money.
Reduce our need for foreign oil.
can be used as a truth serium for people.
October 26th, 2010 at 6:36 am
Oh, c’mon now. First, I think Cuomo is wrong on this. The stuff should be legal, especially for medical use. But, he hardly put medical pot in the same class as prostitution. He used prostitution as an analogy of something which is illegal and if legalized would generate income for the state, which of course it would. Nowhere, even in the skewed RP version of this story, did he say “medical marijuana is as bad as prostitution.” Can’t anyone around here make an argument without changing the facts???
October 26th, 2010 at 6:50 am
Cuomo is just another jerkoff Democrat who can ignore the demands of his base on drug policy simply because there is no political pressure to support any sort of reform. He’ll get the votes from 90% of marijuana-friendly voters no matter what he says on the issue, which is a shame. If Paladino were smart, he’d hold a press conference announcing that he’s in favor of not only medical marijuana (which enjoys large majority support among all political affiliations), but recreational legalization is well. That would definitely stir up the polls, which is what he needs at this point.
@Klo: And if I knew that I was going to die, the last thing in the world that I would want to do is get high. Makes you think too much.
It’s interesting that you mention that. Recently there has been some interesting research on the use of hallucinogens — of which marijuana is a very mild example — for end-of-life psychological therapy. People nearing the end of their lives have shown marked improvement in their outlooks and coping abilities after taking mushroom trips. I see what you mean about “thinking too much”, but that might be a good thing if it helps people mentally process things that have been too emotionally painful and have thus been mentally blocked. Bottling things up isn’t healthy.
October 26th, 2010 at 8:04 am
He is way off base on this. Why keep something as harmless as Pot away from people who are suffering if it brings them some releif. I no longer like Cuomo!
October 26th, 2010 at 9:34 am
Cuomo needs a kick in the a$$ and a slap in his pu$$y face to wake him up. Who the hell does he think he is. He is an embarrassment to real Italians and should find a real job. Like mixing cement, but I guess his hands are too soft for any kind of real work.
October 26th, 2010 at 9:51 am
Klo, you’re just not that bright, are you ?
People do more stupid sht high on booze than any drug on earth so how you come to this conclusion that its pot that would destroy the right is simply returded.
Its the oldest profession for a reason and goes on around us everyday in so many varied applications its not even funny. But once someone hitys the streets selling themselves or opens a brothel we get all bent out of shape. Theres millions and millions of transactions going on between consenting adults that involve sex and money but to gain revenues from those who make it a profession is no different to me than taxing the waitress at Hooters.
I’ll say it agian.
What really pi$$es me off more than anything about all these legalization intiatives (on part of the politicians) is that its being done for the sake of revenues instead of it being a civil right. No one gave a sht til they realized there was money to be made that would compensate and make up for their idiotic spendings.
October 26th, 2010 at 9:55 am
Klo:
“And if I knew that I was going to die, the last thing in the world that I would want to do is get high. Makes you think too much.”
Well, I got news for you buddy.
You’re going to die and you really should start thinking before that happens
October 26th, 2010 at 10:01 am
Pot is no where near as dangerous as the chemo drugs given to cancer patients. They poison you in hopes of killing the cancer cells without killing you. Cuomo’s argument is ridiculous.
October 26th, 2010 at 10:03 am
malcolm kyle Says:
” MARIJUANA USE HAS NO EFFECT ON MORTALITY”
Really ?
Try driving around for 3 days with someone at the wheel whos stoned off their a$$ and you might change your mind.
Twice I had to give that person a heads up to the impending collision.
Dont get me wrong, I’m all for legalization, but anyone operating machinery while stoned can most definately be a threat to ones mortality.
October 26th, 2010 at 10:07 am
Beth;”Pot is no where near as dangerous as the chemo drugs given to cancer patients. They poison you in hopes of killing the cancer cells without killing you. Cuomo’s argument is ridiculous.”
Heh, yeah, just kicked my cancers a$$ and during that whole year the pot I used to relieve me of the nausea and stress didnt give me aids or the clap, crabs…whatever
October 26th, 2010 at 10:08 am
Yeah Mick, prostitution should absolutely be legal, so long as it involves consenting adults. In a world of illegal prostitution, you’ve got pimps, STDs, violent Johns, drug addiction, theft, you name it. In a world of legal prostitution, you have none of that. Nevada has had great success with legalizing prostitution, and the rest of us should take a hint.
Besides, women are allowed to sell their bodies in all sorts of ways, and are also allowed to have sex for any reason they choose unless it’s money. There’s really no justification for this.
What really pi$$es me off more than anything about all these legalization intiatives (on part of the politicians) is that its being done for the sake of revenues instead of it being a civil right
Yeah I hear you there too. Of course, this is nothing new. Alcohol prohibition was instituted once another source of funding — the income tax — relieved the need for alcohol tax revenues. And, lo and behold, it was repealed during the Depression largely based on arguments about taxation and revenue. Freedom has always played second fiddle to the empowerment and enrichment of government officials and agencies.
October 26th, 2010 at 10:20 am
Try driving around for 3 days with someone at the wheel whos stoned off their a$$ and you might change your mind.
That has nothing to do with the ability of the substance itself to cause mortality though, which I think is what Malcom was saying. Weed can’t kill people directly. Pretty much every other substance you can name, including aspirin, can.
October 26th, 2010 at 10:31 am
Yeah Rhay.
It patronization at its worst.
Once these fckers find out theres money to be made they turn into Bob Marley.
As I’ve said in previous debates my concern with legalization and those allowed to grow their own is one of theirs and others safety.
A lot of people where I just vacationed at grow their own. They have many dogs and guns just in case. I’ve been there. If you’ve got a crop worth stealing you’d better keep it a good secret or invest in some security.
That kind of crime is my biggest concern with legalization.
I see people I know are homeless here in the isles selling corn on the side of the street. I know for a fact they didnt grow it themselves and didnt have the money to purchase it wholesale from the farmer.
Price per pound, pot gives much better incentive for home and property invasions.
But then again, I never had a problem with Americans holding arms to protect their lives and property.
I’m curious to see if there’d be a black market that would try to undercut legalized retail and avoid the taxation. Its quite possible since its a lot easier to grow weed than it is to run a substantial distillary.
October 26th, 2010 at 10:34 am
“That has nothing to do with the ability of the substance itself to cause mortality though, which I think is what Malcom was saying. Weed can’t kill people directly. Pretty much every other substance you can name, including aspirin, can.’
I got his point loud and clear.
But lets not disregard where in can be a threat to mortality.
October 26th, 2010 at 10:47 am
If you’ve got a crop worth stealing you’d better keep it a good secret or invest in some security.
That kind of crime is my biggest concern with legalization.
Yeah, fair enough, although there’s good reason to believe that true legalization would result in a huge drop in cash value. Most of the markup in street prices occurs because of the black market. So in a legal world, having a crop in your spare bedroom or backyard isn’t necessarily a huge allure for patch pirates. Not much point in stealing it if they can only get 50 bucks an ounce.
Plus, right now people who are ripped off can’t turn around and call the cops. They’d be admitting to illegal activity and would be arrested themselves. That makes rip-offs a whole lot less risky for the perpetrators. Legal weed growers would have no problem calling the cops if some as*holes robbed them.
October 26th, 2010 at 11:33 am
I dont know that the price would necessarily drop.
People seem to pay what the market dictates and seeing that folks are willing to spend 50 bucks for a couple grams could be a pricinf trend carried over to legal market.
yeah, you could call the cops without fear of prosecution but you still might have to pull some birdshot outta yer a$$.
The people I was refering to have medicinal cards, they’re legal. But still, having that much dope around made me a little nervous. Especially for my wife and kid.
They’re rabid moonbats living out in the middle of nowhere and have guns. And those guns arent because of the wild pigs, wild dogs or Jackson Chameleons.
October 27th, 2010 at 1:28 pm
When it comes to prostitution politicians do not like competition.